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Study Links Drop In Teen Contraception Use To Abstinence-Only Policies, NYT Editorial States
A recent study from Columbia University"s Mailman School of Public Health shows that since 2003, there has been a 10% decrease in contraception use among teenagers, while their level of sexual activity has not changed, a New York Times editorial states. From 1991 to 2003, increased use of contraceptives among teens was a significant factor in declining rates of teenage pregnancy, the editorial says. According to the study"s authors, the decrease in contraception use since 2003 is consistent with recent increases in teen birth rates. According to the editorial, the study"s authors suggest a "link between the shift in use of contraception and one of former President George W. Bush"s great social-policy follies: highly restrictive abstinence-only sex education programs that deny young people information about sexually transmitted diseases, contraceptives and pregnancy." The editorial adds, "To the extent that these programs even mention condoms, typically it is to disparage their effectiveness." In response to "mounting evidence of the program"s danger as a public health strategy," many states have forgone federal abstinence-only funds, the editorial says. As part of his budget proposal, President Obama has called for redirecting some abstinence-only funds and additional money to a new teen pregnancy prevention initiative that stresses comprehensive sex education. The editorial concludes that this "science-based effort to protect the health of young people" and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies "should win support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle -- and both sides of the abortion divide" (New York Times, 6/18).

When Summer Vacation Is Far From A Vacation
The kids are playing in the backyard and enjoying their break from school. Your husband is enjoying the day on the golf course. And you"re cleaning up the house, folding laundry and cooking three meals. Sound familiar?
News of the day
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Prevalent In Nonobese Patients
There is a high probability of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in non-obese, middle-aged patients, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Diagnostics

PhRMA's Tally: $40 Million To Lobby On Health Care

NPR reports on one of the most powerful players in health care: the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA. In addition to spending $40 million, PhRMA alone has 29 people lobbying for it and has "hired 45 different Washington, D.C., lobbying firms to represent it in those three months of the second quarter." NPR reports: "It represents just 32 brand-name drug companies, but it has so much influence that when Congress passes a bill, PhRMA almost always gets its way." "Any firm that spends significant money lobbying Congress has to file a quarterly report. Monday was the deadline for the second quarter, providing a chance to peer into three critical months in the health care debate: April, May and June. That"s when Congress really got down to business with health care. In those three months, PhRMA spent just over $6 million, which breaks down to about $2 million a month. But the reports filed by the companies that belong to PhRMA reveal that during this same period, all but a few of them were running their own lobby shops as well." PhRMA has been advertising and its CEO has been emphasizing the group"s support for reform. NPR notes that if you want to see how PhRMA is influencing the debate, look at what issues have been removed from the table, such as drug re-importation from Canada. "This is not to pass judgment on the merits of PhRMA"s arguments, but rather to show just how much money and lobbying it uses to back them up - and the winning streak in Congress that follows" (Seabrook and Overby, 7/23). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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